Important all are remembered

I was interested to read Mr Bradshaw’s letter (Courier last week) concerning his attempts at having overlooked names added to the local war memorials; he is to be congratulated for his efforts.

This was a subject I raised early in this year at a meeting called by George Illingworth to discuss ways in which the centenary of the Great War could be marked in Kenilworth. It is a sobering thought that currently around 50 names could be in contention to be added to our memorial that today displays 138 men and one woman. For an example, one glaring omission is the first Kenilworth resident to be killed.

As Mr Bradshaw points out, one difficulty is the criteria by which names are chosen; my opinion is that the same should be used as in the 1920s when the original names were listed, others believe a little more careful and restrictive process should be adopted.

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However, if the procedures adopted by Leamington six years ago, in which a man had to be resident for five years in Leamington to qualify for inclusion, was used in Kenilworth in 1920, a number of names now on the memorial would not have been included. One hundred years on, there is also the problem of being able to prove that somebody did or did not live in the town for that length of time.

Ensuring that all those who should be remembered are, is perhaps the most fitting and worthwhile of all possible events and commemorations in the coming four years.

For a list of those who died in the Great War but are not commemorated on our memorial, visit the Kenilworth War Memorial website and click the link “WW1 – other”.

Robin D Leach, Arthur Street, Kenilworth

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